Unferth's Story

Unferth, a minstrel in Hrothgar’s court, insults Beowulf because he’s jealous of Beowulf. Unferth “could not brook or abide the fact that anyone else alive under heaven might enjoy greater regard than he did.” Beowulf is a revered warrior, and Unferth is an entertainer. This divide bothers Unferth greatly, and so he discusses Beowulf’s swimming match with Breca in an attempt to degrade him. After Unferth finishes his story, however, Beowulf insults Unferth, by insinuating that he’s a sot, and retells the story, turning Unferth’s tale of failure into an account of bravery. Beowulf begins his retelling by stating, “Well, friend Unferth, you have had your say about Breca and me. But it was mostly beer that was doing the talking.” Beowulf goes on to say that Breca and Beowulf did indeed have a little competition amongst the waves, but it soon turned into an epic battle for survival. Beowulf was routinely attacked by sea monsters during the competition and ended up killing nine monsters. Eventually, the competition was forgotten, and although Beowulf neither won nor lost the contest, he became a stronger man because of it. Beowulf finishes his account by declaring, “Now I cannot recall any fight you entered, Unferth, that bears comparison. I don’t boast much when I say that neither you nor Breca were ever much celebrated for swordsmanship or for facing danger on the field of battle… The fact is, Unferth, if you were truly as keen or courageous as you claim to be, Grendel would never have got away with such unchecked atrocity… [Grendel] knows he can trample down you Danes to his heart’s content… but he will find me different. I will show him how Geats shape to kill in the heat of battle.” Beowulf, by insulting Unferth and turning Unferth’s degrading words into words of praise, proves himself to be a better, stronger man than Unferth. Beowulf comes off as intelligent and manly when he puts Unferth back into his place, and so the whole episode with Unferth acts only to further bolster Beowulf’s status as a hero.